Chapter 126: We Do Not Accept Your Report
"My... relative?"
Amphelite, who was sparring with Nereus in the Ryugu Palace to hone her hand-to-hand combat skills, saw Nereus take a call and then say something that sounded rather strange to her.
"That's what Rachel relayed. She found a person with wings holding their breath and swimming underwater. It's likely also a Lunarian.
His destination seems to be Fish-man Island as well. Do you want to go take a look?
Oh, by the way, Rachel said the one who came is a 'leather-clad kid'."
"..."
Just like Amphelite's "Miss Mummy," this was a joking nickname, mainly stemming from their attire. After all, Lunarians were accustomed to covering their entire bodies to minimize exposure.
From this nickname, Amphelite could guess what the person suspected to be her compatriot was wearing.
"Let's go take a look. If it really is a compatriot..."
"Arrange it however you like. You're already living here with me; one or two more makes no difference."
Just as Nereus and Amphelite set off, Alber had already entered Fish-man Island.
After seeing the news in the newspaper, he began heading toward Fish-man Island. Because he spent most of his time avoiding people, even when he got near the Red Line, Alber didn't choose to hitch a ride on a ship.
Like Amphelite back then, he took a deep breath and began diving towards the deep sea.
Amphelite at least knew roughly how long the dive would take back then, and she had Fish-men and Merfolk who knew the way guiding her. Alber's action could be said to be even riskier than Amphelite's.
It was only his good luck that allowed him to successfully find Fish-man Island. If it had dragged on too long, who knows where the ocean currents would have swept him due to suffocation.
However, after landing on Fish-man Island, Alber actually didn't know what to do next.
He originally decided to come to Fish-man Island because he saw someone suspected to be a compatriot, but he never thought about how to find her once he arrived.
Was he supposed to grab a random passerby and ask if they had seen someone dressed like a mummy with wings on her back?
After all, the newspaper didn't mention the relationship between the other party and Nereus. Alber had no idea how to proceed.
"I say... look at that person, covered up so tightly... and he has wings on his back. Could he be a Lunarian?"
While Alber was struggling at the entry point, a few smugglers nearby began whispering among themselves.
Although the environment on Fish-man Island had improved significantly under Nereus's jurisdiction, the nature of the people passing through hadn't changed.
They feared Nereus's power and behaved themselves while on Fish-man Island, but once they left, they would show their true colors.
Alber's attire still made them somewhat suspicious.
"Should we try? If it's true, that's 100 million Berries..."
"This is Fish-man Island..."
"That guy isn't a Fish-man either."
The group discussed for a while. With the thought that there was no penalty for a failed report, they made a call to the World Government.
As the Transponder Snail transmitted the signal, an agent in the temporary CP agency office in Mary Geoise picked up the phone.
As for why it was a temporary office...
Naturally, because the original office had been destroyed by Nereus and hadn't been repaired yet.
"You're saying you found a Lunarian?"
"Suspected. The person is covered up very tightly; we can't see the skin color or hair, but he has a pair of wings on his back..."
"That's fine, we can go verify it. As long as it's confirmed to be a Lunarian, the promised reward will be given to you.
Where is your current location? We'll dispatch someone there immediately."
Hearing the news, nearby agents gathered around. To them, capturing a member of the Lunarian tribe was still considered a great merit.
They were already starting to prepare the contact information of CP agents in other areas; if it was close enough, they were even ready to set off directly.
But soon, a location they least wanted to hear came through the Transponder Snail.
"On Fish-man Island..."
"Get lost!"
Before the person on the other end could finish speaking, the operator angrily hung up the phone.
"Do these idiots not read the newspaper?! The World Government has repeatedly emphasized that that woman is not a Lunarian! Why are these people still reporting it!"
Due to face-saving issues, the World Government couldn't explicitly state, "We can't handle that monster Nereus, so we can't do anything about this Lunarian."
But they had already expressed their stance in a sufficiently tactful manner.
These agents, who answered directly to the World Government, knew the specific situation better than ordinary people. Whoever participated in the mission to capture Amphelite now was purely courting death, and the World Government would likely slap an insubordination charge on them to boot.
"Um... when they reported it, they said 'he', right? Since it's a man, it shouldn't be the one the Government mentioned."
"Then let me ask you: suppose he isn't a Lunarian. Does it make sense for us to make a trip?"
"No."
"Then let me ask you again: if he is a Lunarian, could he have some connection with that woman?!"
"This... maybe."
"Since he could, it means that monster under the sea won't ignore him. If we go, we're just seeking death, and the World Government won't care about such trivial matters.
Whether he is or isn't, there is no benefit for us. Why should we go? This is why I'm the Vice-Captain and you're just a squad member. Do you understand now?!"
If the World Government issued an order, CP agents would still execute it. Even if it was a suicide mission, there were many loyal agents who would dare to brave it.
But now, the World Government had already made its stance clear. To go seek death under these circumstances would be asking for trouble.
Even if there was a difference in the pronoun used, in the eyes of this CP squad Vice-Captain, it was meaningless, for the reasons he just stated.
"You became Vice-Captain... wasn't it because your old man is the commander of CP7?"
"...You will be a squad member for the rest of your life."
"Are you saying I can keep this position for my whole life?"
"You get lost too!"
The argument occurring within the CP agency was unknown to the people on Fish-man Island. They only knew that whether it was the Marines or the World Government, upon hearing the location "Fish-man Island," they all hung up the phone.
And before hanging up, they very uniformly cursed them out.
In the past, the World Government didn't manage Fish-man Island because they couldn't be bothered.
The cost and reward of underwater operations simply weren't proportional.
Now, they didn't dare manage Fish-man Island. As long as Nereus behaved a bit and didn't pull another stunt like attacking them directly, they could choose not to care about the rest.
If there were minor conflicts, let them fight.
"What kind of situation is this..."
"A situation where they can't afford to provoke them. Even for a member nation... this normally doesn't happen... The sky over Fish-man Island has truly changed..."
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